Diaspora Diplomacy: Emerging Priority of Nepal’s Foreign Policy

Journal of Political Science

(A Peer-Reviewed, Open Access International Journal)
ISSN 2362-1273 (Print); ISSN 2773-8132 (Online)
Volume 21, February 2021, pp. 86-99
https//: www.ejournal of pncampus.edu.np/journals/ips/

Diaspora Diplomacy: Emerging Priority of Nepal’s Foreign Policy

Pratima Sharma
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Government of Nepal

Corresponding Author: Pratima Sharma, Email: smileypratima@gmail.com

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3126/jps.v21i0.35267

Received 2 December, 2020, Reviewed 15 December 2020, Published 1 February 2021

Abstract

Many people from Nepal are currently living in foreign countries. Their living has become a
prominent issue in foreign policy and international relations as it has a broader impact on
the bilateral connection between Nepal and the host countries as well as in the development
back home. Appropriately mobilizing diverse potential inheritance in the Nepali diaspora
can be a real boon for Nepal in achieving the national goals. The government is working on
that by devising various policies, but the results are not satisfactory. Rigorous homework is
yet to be done at the policy-making level to maximize achievements through the effective
conduction of diaspora diplomacy. Hence, shedding light on the broader perspective of the
Nepali diaspora, this paper attempts to focus on their role in the social, economic and
cultural development of Nepal. The new institutional and policy arrangements that
policymakers should adopt in upcoming days to address diaspora needs and to maintain a
balanced relation between the government and Nepali community residing outside the
border are also discussed. The article is descriptive and analytical in format, and the data are
collected from secondary sources.

Keywords: Brain-gain center, diasporas, economic diplomacy, globalization, non-resident

Nepali

Introduction

The modern-day globalized world has made the movement of people from one county to
another swift and easy. People originating from one country, including their descendants,
can live or work in another country and enjoy a special bond with their home country,
whom we call ‘diaspora’.

Diaspora, an English term, entered into usage in 1876. It is derived from the Greek word
‘diaspeirō,' which means scattering. Historically, diaspora indicates the forceful dispersion

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of Jewish people from Israel to live in other parts of the world. It now implies the people
who have moved to another country recently or earlier intending to live, either for shorter
and temporary or for a extended and permanent time but have a special connection towards
the country of their origin (Agunias & Newland, 2012).

The term “diplomacy” is derived from the Greek word ‘diploma’ that indicates an official
document by which a privilege is conferred. Edmund Burke first introduced the term
‘diplomacy’ in 1796 (Acharya, 2015). Diplomacy is a means devised for achieving the aims
and objectives of a nation expressed in terms of foreign policy. So, if the foreign policy is
the end, diplomacy is the means. In the 21st century, new kinds of challenges resulting
from interdependence among states and globalization have had a determining impact on
diplomacy. Diplomacy has become multifaceted, multi-directional, volatile, and intensive
due to the increased complexity in terms of actors, dialogues subjects, modes of
communication, and the plurality of objective (Rana, 2011). These global system changes
require a paradigm shift in priorities from problem-solving diplomacy by building
institutionalized assistance to the diplomacy of managing relationships between people
(Sharp, 2019).

There has been a notable rise in non-state actors (international, private, and transnational),
creating a more significant impact in explaining the theory of International Relations and its
usage in the modern twenty-first century. So, non-state actors must be given great
importance while conducting foreign policy research (Stengel & Baumann, 2017). Hence,
international relations is no more a state affair only; non-state actors like the diaspora
community also has an essential role to execute nowadays.

Diaspora diplomacy indicates the shared actions of a wide range of immigrants who
influence diverse aspects in the country of their ancestors and the culture, politics, and
economy of the country of their settlement. And no doubt, both the countries are mutually
benefited (Gonzales, 2012).

All countries are not clear on the concept of their “diaspora diplomacy." But diasporas are
the vital means to expand foreign relations. Compared to past years, the nation's
responsibility to protect its nationals in foreign lands has become more prominent these
days because they are more vulnerable to problems like terrorism and natural calamities in
the host countries. So, the importance of diaspora diplomacy is sure to increase as people
migrating to another country are ever-rising (Rana, 2011).

Hence, diaspora diplomacy has garnered a significant attention in today’s interrelated

world. The increasing movement of people has forced the stakeholders to get engrossed in
formulating and executing required policies at home as well as in government-to-
government interactions to formulate liberal policies in the host countries. A considerable
percentage of Nepali human resources is currently outside the national boundary. They are
continuously playing an overarching role in transforming Nepali society and enhancing
national identity on the international platform. Thus, they deserve to be addressed by the
policymakers more responsibly so that their rights are protected, and they are further
encouraged to perform their responsibility in national development. In the context of the
increasing influence of globalization in Nepal, some questions like; What are the current
issues and problems Nepali diasporas are facing? Are the policies adopted by the
government to address diaspora needs enough in the present context? And what could be
the new road map for effectively mobilizing the skills inheritance in diasporas? are assured

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to arise. Thus, this article tries to find answers to these questions. This article also discuses
about the history as well as current status of the Nepali diaspora highlighting their socio-
economic and cultural impacts.

Objective and Methodology

The main objective of this article is to explore the mounting priority of Nepal in diaspora
diplomacy. The article also aims to highlight the Nepali diaspora's role in the country's
economic development through remittance and investment. This article is descriptive and
analytical in format. The required data is obtained through various secondary sources like
books, journals, national-international reports, newspapers, government portals, and
previous research works. The nature of the data is qualitative.

Literature Review

Diaspora diplomacy is well known as the use of Foreign Service, or other branches of
government, to endorse the systematic relationship, for mutual benefit, between the country
of origin, diaspora groups in the nation of residence, and the various interest associations in
both the country of origin and country of residence (Birka & Kļaviņš, 2020). As the trend
of migration of people from one nation to another is ever increasing, the government of the
country of origin has established different legal and institutional mechanisms to get
connected with their diasporas in different countries.

The institutionalization of “diaspora diplomacy” showcases that a country’s diaspora

community has become considerably more important as a subject of interest for foreign
policy and associated government activities (Emre OK, 2018). Several researchers have
conducted research works in this field in different countries.

Adopting a well-defined foreign policy of Nepal recently in October 2020, the government
of Nepal has appreciated the contribution of Nepali diaspora to the country’s socio-
economic transformation through economic diplomacy and has set the goal to protect the
Nepali community involved in any profession, business, and employment in foreign
countries. The document has also indicated the special priority of promoting Nepal’s soft
power through Nepal’s extraordinary natural beauties, unique and affluent civilization,
cultures, lifestyle, thoughts, diversity, art, language, literature, and sports and has also
acknowledged the power of the Nepali diaspora in enabling this objective. Thus, this paper
tries to analyze the roles of Nepali diasporas in today’s governance system in the
attainment of national interest as set by the government of Nepal in the present global
context.

Theoretical Perspective

The concept is determined by several theories. The diaspora analysis is based on a broader
context of academic concern. The concept is closely concerned with the liberal school of
thought. The liberal approach emphasizes the great potential for human progress in the

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modern civil society and the capitalist economy, both of which can flourish in states which
guarantee individual liberty. Freedom and democracy are the core values of relations of this
school of thought. The liberalists are more optimistic about the prospects for peace and see
the rules of international relations as slowly, incrementally evolving through time and
potentially becoming more and more peaceful (Goldstein & Pevehouse, 2008, p. 84). This
evolution results primarily from the gradual build-up of international organization and
mutual cooperation and secondarily from changes in norms and public opinion. The liberals
claim that the world has seemingly progressed in terms of reducing the level of violent
conflict. Open economies, trade, and interdependence have also contributed to this decline
of violence (Walker & Rousseau, 2018, p. 29). The movement of Nepali people in the past
was limited but became more common after the restoration of multiparty democracy in
1990. The policy of liberal democracy adopted by the government paved the way for easy
movement of people outside the country.

The Nepali diaspora

Nepali diaspora indicates Nepali people living and working outside Nepal. It is often
synonymous with Non-resident Nepalis. Non-resident Nepali Act, 2008 has, to some extent,
tried to introduce Nepali diaspora in different terms which say:

(a) "Non-resident Nepali" means a foreign citizen of Nepali origin, and this term
also includes a Nepali citizen residing abroad (Article 2(a)).

(b) "Foreign citizen of Nepali origin" means a person who him/herself or whose
father, grandfather or grandmother was a citizen of Nepal at any time and has
subsequently acquired the citizenship of any other foreign country other than a
member country of the South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation
(SAARC) (Article 2(b)).

(c) "Nepali citizen residing abroad" means a Nepali citizen who has been residing
in any foreign country for at least two years by doing any profession,
occupation, business and employment except a Nepali citizen living in a
member country of SAARC or Serving in a diplomatic mission or consulate
situated in a foreign country under the assignment of the government of Nepal
and doing the study in an academic institution located in a foreign country
(Article 2(c).

Nepali Diaspora includes not only non-resident Nepalis, foreign citizens of the Nepali
origin, and Nepali citizens residing in countries outside the SAARC region but all Nepalis
and the people of the Nepali origin and their communities all over the world.

History of Nepali Diaspora

The movement of the Nepali people to other countries started centuries ago. But it was
initially limited within the countries of the Asian region. Later on, factors like globalization
contribute to their expansion in many countries around the globe.

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 Diaspora Diplomacy: Emerging Priority of Nepal’s Foreign Policy

After Nepal was declared a unified country in 1768 by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, Nepal
started to be the main trade route from India to Tibet via Kathmandu valley. Some Newar
(an ethnic community in Nepal) artisans invited to move to the valley in the seventeenth
century started being active in trade-related activities and traveled to Tibet and settled as
artisans and traders; in Shigatse, Gyantse, and Lhasa. Thus, if one were to speak of a Nepali
diaspora before 1850, it could only have referred to the Newars, Kathmandu valley's
inhabitants. On the other hand, some Nepalis saw the Newars as a trading diaspora, though
many are, in fact, artisans, peasants, and laborers rather than shopkeepers and merchants
(Gellner, 2013).

There was evidence that a growing number of Nepali Brahmans came to live at Kashi,
Banaras in India in the eighteenth century. The Nepali settlement in Banaras was initially
linked to Kashi’s role as the center of learning. Hill Brahmans came there to learn Sanskrit,
and many settled there (Gaenszle, 2002).

The British entry into the South Asia also has a significant role in expanding the Nepali
diaspora outside India and China. The Anglo-Nepali War (1814–16), fought between
the Gorkha Kingdom (now the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal) and the East India
Company, left a lasting impression on the British. They were highly impressed with Nepali
brevity and courage. As an appreciation, they gave Nepali soldiers the name ‘Gurkhas.'
Onward this, the Nepali men's recruitment as soldiers for Britain got started (Gellner, 2013).

After India got independence, a tripartite agreement was signed among England, Nepal and
India in 1947 to settle the Gurkhas' future in military service (Gellner & Hausner 2018). The
British took four regiments of the Gorkha Rifles while the other six remained with the
Indian Army. In the mid-fifties of the ninetieth century, there was large-scale recruitment of
the Nepalis in the British Army to quell Malaya's communist insurrection. Thousands of
Nepali soldiers fought the World War I and II in British favor. Likewise, during the India-
China war in 1962 and the Indo-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971, many Nepalis were
recruited in the Indian Army (Caplan, 1995).

Even today, thousands of Nepalis are serving in the United Kingdom and India as British
and Indian soldiers. Thus, one of the main ways Nepali moved abroad, often deciding to stay
overseas was through their service as Gurkha soldiers. The soldiers and their families
constitute a significant Nepali diaspora community in countries like the United Kingdom,
India, Singapore, Brunei, and Burma. Thus, Gurkha's history of Nepal, which helped to
glorify Nepal’s identity as a ‘Land of Gurkhas’ in the world, played an excellent role in
expanding the Nepali community in various countries in and outside Asia.

Nepali Diaspora Today

As far as the modern Nepali Diaspora is concerned, three categories of migration can be
highlighted: first, overland, mainly seeking work, and mostly towards the east; second, again
overland, but more focused on pursuing work in Indian cities; and finally, third, traveling by
plane to work in the Gulf (or ‘Arab’ as Nepalis refer to it), in Southeast Asia, and beyond, or
for education and work in the developed world (Gellner, 2013).

Among the countries with the highest level of migration, Nepal was at the top 9 during
2000-2010 and now at the top 7 during 2010-2020 as per the International migration report,
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2019. According to the national census, 2011, Nepal's total population in foreign countries
(except India) was 1,921,494, while the data reached 4,365,415 till the mid of 2018
(Economic Survey, 2018/19). The data also shows that, institutionally, Nepal has opened
110 countries for foreign employment. However, more than 167 countries have been opened
for foreign employment on an individual basis. The 2011 census on population and housing
shows that almost 50% of Nepal’s households had a member who was either working
overseas or had returned. This data is astounding. The data also shows that about two-thirds
of Nepali migrants are in India. But the information is still incomplete because an open
border with India has resulted in a comfortable, undocumented, and temporary movement of
people across the border.

The exact number of people of Nepali origin and their descendants residing in various other
developed countries with permanent resident cards or citizenship cards is yet not
documented. But it is supposed to be in millions in number. In the United States alone,
140,000 Nepali lived until 2015 (Pew Research Center, 2017).

Nepali students and their families also constitute a great number among Nepali Diaspora in
various countries. The exact number of Nepali students who sought permission to go abroad
to study until August 2019 was 323,972 (Foreign Education Department, 2019). As per the
data from the last eight years, an average of 200 Nepali students left the country for foreign
studies in as many as 69 countries. Countries like India, China, Australia, Japan, South
Korea, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, France, and Germany hold the
maximum number (Nepali Sansar, 2019).

Socio-economic and cultural significance of Nepali Diaspora

Nepali Diasporas offer a myriad of benefits and opportunities to Nepal. Among many, socio-
economic and cultural benefits are highlighted here:

Role in social transformation

Nepal is a developing country. Compared to other developed countries, Nepal is backward

in terms of the opportunity to fulfill many fundamental human needs. Most people are so
innocent and follow old social taboos like ‘Chhaupadi’ (Chhaupadi is a tradition of
“untouchability” in the far-western Nepal where women and girl are required to live away
from the community, typically in a livestock shed, and are forbidden from touching other
people and objects, during menstruation), ‘Dowry system' (Dowry system is a practice of
giving money or property or some kinds of special gifts at the marriage of a daughter by the
father to bridegroom or bridegroom’s family), etc. But as people got the opportunities to see
the changes and advancement in other countries, the social transformation happened. People
understood the importance of education. The literacy rate of Nepal was just 33% in 1990,
while it is 68%, according to the census, 2011. People are now getting the opportunity to
know technological development on the global front. The use of social applications like
Facebook, Viber, Messenger, etc is increasing the connection between families and friends.
People are now smarter, techno-friendly, and educated due to their exposure to the outside
world.

The effort of individual Nepali Diaspora like Shesh Ghale, the first billionaire in the global
Nepali Diaspora (the Australian Financial Review 2019 Rich List, 2019) is commendable.
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He is doing numerous humanitarian works in Nepal at various times of crisis. Following the
2015 mega-earthquake, when he was the president of the Non-resident Nepali Association
(NRNA), Ghale led well-coordinated relief and reconstruction activities in affected areas. To
help underprivileged and vulnerable Nepal's communities through education and health,
Ghale and his wife co-founded the MIT Group Foundation in 2015 and continued doing
social works in Nepal. Recently, this couple donated NRS 3 million (estimated 28,000 USD)
to Nepal's government for combating the COVID-19 pandemic (MIT Group Foundation,
2020). Likewise, the institutional efforts of NRNA are praiseworthy. It is doing various
social works in Nepal. Currently, it is trying hard to create awareness among Nepali people,
distribute safety equipment, and help the Nepali migrants residing in multiple countries to
minimize risks of coronavirus among the Nepali population. NRNA and the International
Labor Organization (ILO) signed a project in June 2020 for the repatriation and return of the
Nepali Migrant workers in response to COVID-19. With monetary aid from the Government
of Switzerland, as a part of the ILO’s Migrant Rights and Decent Work (MIRIDEW)
Project, this initiative aims to work together with Nepali diplomatic missions in Malaysia,
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE to provide active services to Nepali migrant workers. It also
provide legal/para-legal aid and short-term shelter support for the most vulnerable Nepali
migrant workers and support Nepal Government in offering safe and secure transit services
to returning Nepali migrant workers back in Nepal (Non-resident Nepali Association, 2020).

An international think-tank and a knowledge-platform dedicated to the sustainable

development of Nepal and the Nepali-people, including diaspora Nepali ‘Nepal Policy
Institute’ (NPI), has been recently established in Hague, the Netherlands with the efforts of
Non-resident Nepali. This institution aims to collaborate with the Government of Nepal and
other research wings to make sound development policies in Nepal.

The backbone of national economy

The migration of people has consistently been an essential source of remittance. Foreign
jobs have been a viable option for many countries to fight against poverty and
unemployment. It has helped improve people's living standards and bring socio-economic
transformation (Livitt, 2001). Nepal is not an exception. Migration has played a significant
role in bringing a multitude of positive effects on Nepal’s economy, improving the living
standard of Nepali people, and solving the existing unemployment problem, to a greater
extent.

Around 70% of Nepali are engaged in agriculture. But agriculture alone has been unable to
provide enough employment opportunities for the people. Each year around 500,000 Nepali
youths enter the job market, but the government has not offered job opportunities to all of
them. Nepal Labour Force Survey (NLFS, 2017/18) shows that Nepal's existing
unemployment rate is 11.4%. Thus, foreign employment has been a lucrative job option for
them. The contribution of remittance to GDP was about 0.70% during 1975-1990, which
increased to 21.41% during 2009-2015. According to World Bank Report 2020, Nepal
received $8.1 billion as a remittance in 2019, which constituted 27.3 % of the total national
GDP. Hence, the Nepali Diaspora are playing an essential role in rolling the economy of the
country. The given figure shows the trend of remittance inflow in Nepal:

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 Diaspora Diplomacy: Emerging Priority of Nepal’s Foreign Policy

Figure 1

Trend in obtaining labor permits (Left) and incoming remittance (Right)

Source: Foreign Employment Information Management System and Nepal Rastra Bank,
2019.

Non-Resident Nepalis are also investing their capital and resources in various sectors like
hydropower, tourism, bank, financial institutions, agriculture, education, real estate, etc.
Their investment has contributed significantly to the employment generation and economic
development of Nepal. As the most prominent association of Nepali Diaspora, NRNA is
extending thousands of philanthropic and social services in Nepal, like constructing nursing
homes, death funeral houses, hospitals, roadways, drinking water supplies, etc. (NRN-
Investment in Nepal, 2015). Hence, Nepali Diasporas are one of the prominent contributors
to the economy and development of Nepal.

Promotion of Nepal and Nepali culture

Migration has not only helped in socio-economic transformation but also in transferring
social norms and values, skills and ideas, culture, and civilization from one country to
another (Livitt, 2001). Nepali residing in various countries are the cultural ambassadors as
they have helped foster Nepali culture, literature, art and music, traditions, food, festivals,
and identity. They have helped enhance the national image as the land of the highest peak
and the birthplace of Buddha. Increased interaction of Nepali Diaspora with people of host
countries has further helped uplift people-to-people relations. We often see many foreigners
celebrating Nepali festivals like Dashain, Tihar, Holi, etc., with Nepali families in foreign
lands. This has helped in the assimilation of Nepali culture and tradition globally, which has
contributed to public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy.

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Nepali diplomatic missions also organize programs like cultural shows, carnivals, feasts and
fairs to promote Nepal by collaborating with Nepali Diaspora in various countries time and
again (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2019).

Government and Nepali diaspora

The government of Nepal has embraced its responsibility to protect its national both at home
and abroad. It, too, has adopted different policies to encourage them to engage in various
social and economic activities in Nepal. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of
Labour, Employment and Social Security, other related Ministries and Departments, and the
diplomatic missions stationed at capitals of various host countries are now extensively
engaged in a wide array of work related to Nepali Diaspora. Centering the priority to address
the needs of migrants' labor, the number of high-level visits from Nepal to various labor
destination countries is also increasing. Labour Agreements and Memorandum of
Understandings (MoUs) have also been signed with many of the countries.

The present constitution of Nepal has given special attention to Non-Resident Nepali needs,
especially regarding their right to hold Non-Resident Nepali Citizenship cards. It reads as:

The non-residential citizenship of Nepal may be so granted to a person who

has acquired the citizenship of a foreign country, has resided in a country
other than a member state of the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation, and who or whose father or mother, grandfather or
grandmother was previously a citizen of Nepal by descent or birth but
subsequently acquired the citizenship of the foreign country that such
person may enjoy economic, social and cultural rights under the Federal
law. (Part 2, Article 14)

Hence, the constitution has already embraced the need to build a more robust social,
economic, and emotional connection with NRNs.

By executing the Non-Resident Nepali Act, 2008, as a significant legal provision to non-
resident Nepalis, the government has enclosed Nepali Diaspora in the nation and state-
building process. It has provisioned to offer NRN Cards to Non-resident Nepali (Article,
4(1)), the privilege to open bank accounts for the amount earned by him/her in convertible
currency in any commercial bank or the financial institution (Article, 6), to invest in
business or firm or to own company (Article 7), and to repatriate the investment and the
amount equivalent to the profit earned in convertible foreign currency (Article, 9), to
purchase land or other property to reside in Nepal (Article 10) and to receive ten years of
visa at a time (Article 11). Hence, the Non-resident Act has accepted NRNs as an essential
aspect of economic diplomacy and tried to enhance their attachment towards Nepal.

The government is taking initiatives to encourage and facilitate NRN’s investment through
economic diplomacy. It is continuously striving to attract investment in the export trade and
tourism sector and focusing on foreign employment management, technology transfer,
climate change and financing. The government is also planning to conduct a census like the
NRN survey to take stock of NRN expertise and explore a suitable area of their engagements
(MOFA, 2018).

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Similarly, under the policies regarding labor and employment, the constitution has also
spoken about the adoption of national policies for regulating and managing foreign
employment to make this sector exploitation free, safe, and well-managed to guarantee labor
right and encouraging the use of the capital, skill, technology and the experience gained in
foreign employment in the productive sector of the country (Part 4, Article 51).

The government has proclaimed the Foreign Employment Act 2007 as a primary legal
framework in Nepal to make foreign employment business safe, decent, and managed.
Foreign Employment Rules, 2019 and Foreign Employment Tribunal, 2012, formed
according to the same Act, has set the legal framework for the welfare of migrant workers
and for handling disputes related to foreign employment.

The Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Security is the apex governmental body
established in 1981 to formulate acts and regulations on labor and employment-related
issues. It concludes the treaties, agreements, and MoUs with other governments to ensure
migrants’ protection and their rights. Department of Foreign Employment was established
later in 2008 to handle the increased workload and complexity of foreign employment-
related tasks. This department dedicatedly works for the welfare of labor migrants, like
providing skills training to prospective migrants, issuing them labor permits, keeping their
records, ensuring their protection in destination countries, and coordinating in giving relief
and compensation (if needed) to the workers (Department of Foreign Employment, 2020).

Likewise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is exercising its functions as the apex
governmental institution in formulating and implementing Nepal’s foreign policy;
strengthening Nepal’s bilateral, regional and multilateral relations; promoting Nepal's
development and economic diplomacy, protecting the rights and interests of Nepalis living
abroad and handling passports and consular related matters. 39 Nepali missions (30
embassies, 3 permanent missions, and 6 consulates-general) have been established in various
countries. A dedicated labor attaché’ is also posted to the Embassies to hear and address
labor issues in the missions (MOFA, 2020).

Upon realizing the increasing number of experts in various sectors such as engineering,
medicine, economics, research, academics, etc., Nepal's government has created a platform
called Brain Gain Center in May 2019 with a motive to form their database (MOFA, 2020).
It is a user-oriented computer-based system where Nepali experts can register themselves. In
the context of the alarming brain drain from a small and developing country like ours, the
brain gain center aims to recognize the diaspora’s expertise and to tap their knowledge and
commitment to fulfill the national aspirations for sustainable peace, good governance,
development, and prosperity. It is monitored and regulated by MOFA in Kathmandu.

Hence, all these legal and institutional provisions show Nepal’s priority in diaspora
diplomacy in the present day.

Prominent issues of Nepali diaspora

Despite the government's focus on diaspora diplomacy, there still exist numerous challenges
and unsolved issues related to the Nepali diaspora. Some legal provisions are absolute in the
present context while some require time to time revision. The Nepali diasporas are raising
their voice for their space and participation in state mechanisms in more significant ways.
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They are demanding the upgrade in conventional working style in the administration to a
more pragmatic and transparent manner. Thousands of Nepali experts working in various
countries are willing to return to Nepal. But they are complaining that the government has
been unable to assure them the opportunities to utilize their expertise in the related fields.

The current constitution has inked the provision to issue a non-resident Nepali citizenship
certificate to the non-resident Nepalis. But the new Citizenship Act assuring this right is yet
to promulgate. Confusion among policymakers is still going on about the format of the
certificate and the distribution process, i.e., there is still the confusion either to distribute
certificates through the diplomatic missions or through the local authorities. Currently,
citizenship-related issues are being handled by the local authorities. This has created chaos
among the diasporas.

Besides this, the debate of granting dual citizenship to NRNs has come to the forefront. Any
citizen of Nepal who voluntarily acquires the citizenship of any foreign country shall
automatically lose the citizenship of Nepal (Nepali citizenship Act, 2006). But NRNs are
advocating that acquiring citizenship of the adopted country becomes almost a necessity for
various practical considerations like to utilize the privileges of employment, easy and free
education and other privileges to children, participation in multiple social and economic
activities, utilization of social benefits, pensions, ease of travel, etc. So, they are demanding
not to seize their rights to receive a Nepali citizenship certificate and to get connected with
Nepal, the land of their origin. Nevertheless, the issue of dual citizenship has invited two-
faceted opinions. One group of analysts argues that countries like the U.S, Canada, UK,
Australia, New Zealand, Israel, France, and Russia have already granted dual citizenship
certificate policies, which has been proved fruitful. Thus, they are demanding that Nepal
should also adopt the same approach claiming social, economic, development benefits to
Nepal. In contrast, another group of analysts argues against issuing dual citizenship,
highlighting security concerns.

Bureaucratic hurdles and delays are also other issues raised by the diaspora. They often
complain about their frustration while seeking services in Nepal, especially related to
immigration, NRN Cards, and investments. As a consequence, the country is deprived of
investment, potentially worth billions of dollars.

Nepal is also lagging in providing voting rights to migrants, which is also a big issue in
today’s democratic society. A 2007 assessment by the International Institute for Democracy
and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) recognized 115 countries and territories with legal
provisions for overseas voting. Even some countries in Asia such as Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand,
have the privilege of overseas voting to their Diaspora (Agunias & Newland, 2012). But no
severe concern of Nepali authority is felt to offer this fundamental right to Nepali residing in
foreign lands.

The Nepal government has signed bilateral labor agreements with just eight major labor
destinations: Qatar, the UAE, South Korea, Bahrain, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia nd Mauritius.
But Nepali are working in more than 167 countries worldwide. This state of having no labor
agreements with the remaining countries has created a serious concern on the security of
Nepali immigrants.

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Despite the enormous contribution of Nepali migrants towards development in both home
and destination countries, they are vulnerable to labor exploitation and abuse. Unskilled and
low-skilled Nepali workforce and rural women are continuously being forced into labor and
trafficking (International Labour Organization, 2020). Many of them are the victims of racial
discrimination and hate based on their origin, which is the heart-wrenching reality Nepali
diasporas are still experiencing.

In recent days, COVID-19 has created disruptions in numerous sectors, nearly in every
country in the world. Hence, ensuring the safety of Nepali nationals in the host countries and
non-bias treatment to them by the host government as well as the safe repartition of those
who have lost their foreign jobs back to Nepal are yet another immediate responsibilities that
the Nepal government needs to act on. Hence, all these issues are the prominent ones that
the government needs to deal with without any delay.

Conclusion

The government has promised to turn Nepal's long-awaited prosperity dream into a reality
by exercising all possible means, but the results are not satisfactory. The most potential
human resource, Nepali diasporas are continuously blaming the government for not creating
a resilient relationship with them and not mobilizing their capacities. Identifying the
Diasporas, keeping their records, building trust, and confidence with them are now the
immediate needs policymakers should address. Nepal is now a federal country, so every
possible mechanism at all central, federal, and local levels should be developed to connect
with them. The use of modern technologies to guarantee trouble-free government service
should be ensured. This will help the government to gain confidence, primarily in bringing
their investment and skills to Nepal. To maximize the chances of using their expertise in
diverse sectors and to ensure immediate and sustainable results, the efficiency of the Brain
Gain Center should also be further enhanced. Diaspora residing in various countries have
diverse exposure. So, priorities should be set, and work accordingly to utilize their skills.
The laws should be enacted immediately, ensuring the right of non-resident Nepali to
receive a non-resident Nepali citizenship certificate as well as the right of Nepali people
residing in foreign lands to take part in national elections in Nepal.

In the context of the increasing expansion of migrants to hundreds of countries, the state
agencies should speed up the negotiation process with the government of more countries and
conclude labor agreements so that the labor rights of Nepali migrants are protected. The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs should make a robust mechanism through the diplomatic
missions for the quick rescue of the victims. The diplomatic staff should also be trained and
equipped with all necessary resources so that their efficiency would further increase, and it
would be easier to disseminate information and conduct programs for the safety and security
of Nepali nationals.

Every Nepali Diaspora deserves to feel connected with the people, the government and the
system back home. Hence, the best practices adopted by many other countries for utilizing
diaspora in national development should be embraced so that mutual benefits between Nepal
and Nepali diaspora are ensured based on the realities of today’s globalized world.

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